A diesel engine intakes air, compresses it, and then injects the fuel directly into the combustion chamber (direct injection). The heat of the compressed air ignites the fuel in the combustion chamber. The injector may be mounted to a fuel injector clamp in an orientation that allows injection of fuel into the combustion chamber.
Diesel engine operating parameters may be monitored and controlled for efficient operation. For example, to achieve desired operating conditions (e.g. power, efficiency, and/or pollution control) in a diesel engine, it may be advantageous to continuously monitor the point in the crankshaft rotation cycle at which the onset of combustion takes place. Unlike a gasoline engine, which determines the “start of combustion” by the spark timing, the diesel “start of combustion” is a function of several variables including cylinder compression, fuel injection timing, engine temperature, fuel-to-air ratio, and other operating parameters.